The problem for amateur astronomers with an economical tripod or mount is changing the eyepieces or lenses of different magnifications. In touching the telescope to extract an eyepiece and insert the next one with a higher or lower magnification, the telescope can sway or move (work is done in the dark) and this can cause the loss of the object being observed or photographed through the telescope.
This problem, which is as common as it is frustrating, is solved by purchasing a heavier, more rigid and precise tripod and mount.
However, the amateur astronomer tends to be reticent about spending money on a new tripod or mount when just starting out with their new hobby, as they would rather invest in other accessory equipment such as cameras, automatic colour filter changers, or other equipment.
The applicant of the present invention, after carrying out a lengthy investigation of more than one year in the market of equipment manufacturers for telescopes on the web pages of specialised stores, the web pages of astronomy equipment manufacturers, and internet forums specialised in astronomy, has reached the conclusion that currently there is no knowledge of an eyepiece exchange device for telescopes that would allow eyepieces to be changed automatically.
Only one eyepiece changing device of a rotary type has been found, similar to the one used in some microscopes, manufactured by a Japanese company. However, this device does not resolve the fact of having to manually activate the change of eyepieces, and moreover does not include a universal support for image equipment, or a focus compensation system after changing the eyepiece.
Furthermore, the researched astronomy internet forums have specific sections under the heading “eyepiece changer”, where enthusiasts search for automatic eyepiece exchange equipment with the answer from the more experienced enthusiasts always being that they simply “do not exist”.
Additionally, another typical problem for the market segment of advanced users with remote telescopes (expert amateurs, schools and universities) remotely controlled by a computer and located in areas of difficult access such as mountains or away from the cities, is the impossibility of changing the eyepiece when atmospheric conditions require it (the worse the “seeing” or atmospheric conditions, the lower the magnifications the eyepieces require); and as there are no automatic eyepiece exchangers, these telescopes work with their primary focus without an eyepiece or with a fixed eyepiece, making it impossible to decrease or increase the power according to atmospheric conditions, and diminishing their optical performance.